Black Agenda Radio - 09.18.17

Welcome to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. I’m Glen Ford, along with my co-host Nellie Bailey. Coming up: The United States has tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, and North Korea only has a handful, but the U.S. claims that North Korea is the greatest danger to world peace; and, author and historian Paul Street explores why Ta-nehesi Coates has it in for the Left.

Fifteen Democratic U.S. Senators have endorsed Bernie Sanders Medicare for All legislation. In the House, a majority of Democrats have co-sponsored a single payer health care bill. We spoke with Dr. Margaret Flowers, who works with a group called Health Over Profits. 

The United States is by far the most heavily armed nation on the planet, and has attacked more countries than any anybody else since World War Two. But Washington insists that North Korea is the biggest danger to the planet, and has pressured the United Nations Security Council to impose harsh sanctions on the Koreans. UNAC, the United National Anti-War Coalition, opposes U.S. sanctions and threats against North Korea.” Spokesperson Sara Flounders, explains.

TaNehesi Coats, the Black writer for the neoliberal magazine, The Atlantic, has blasted what he calls “the Left” for favoring class arguments over racial realities. The charge drew a quick response from author and historian Paul Street, writing in Counterpunch.

A new poll commissioned by the American Federation of Teachers union shows that public school parents care most of all about adequate funding for education, and that large majorities think there is too much time and attention paid to high stakes testing. We spoke with Dr. Monty Neil, executive director of the Fair Test organization, in Boston, and asked, why only 11 percent of parents think that so-called school choice is an important issue.

 

And that’s it for this edition of Black Agenda Radio.